1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for the setting of the date stamp of a postage-meter machine, where the postage-meter machine comprises at least a stator part and a print rotor, pivotally disposed at the stator part, as well as independent, coaxially disposed counter wheels in the print rotor, where a first counter wheel serves for setting the single-digit positions of the day of the month, a second counter wheel for the decimal positions of the day of the month, a third counter serves to set the month, and a fourth counter corresponds to the years of the date stamp.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Postage-meter machines are commercially available in diverse constructions. As a norm, these machines comprise a print rotor, which rotor includes on its cylindrical surface a postage value stamp and a date stamp. The numerals of the two stamps are adjustable.
While the value stamp in general is continuously set to new values corresponding to the amounts of postage required in each case, the setting of the date occurs only once per day. This entails that this day-setting can easily be forgotten, which would result in consequences imposed by the licensing postal authority.
The print rotor rolls during franking in each case with a full rotation over the mail pieces to be furnished with metered postage, for example, over a letter, and thereby prints successively the recited and possibly additional stamps. Such a postage-meter machine is described, for example, in Hasler Review, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Spring 1978), pp. 2-7 (R. Grunig: Hasler Mailmaster F204 Franking Machine).
A first device for the setting of a date stamp of a postage-meter machine, different from a manual setting with a stylus, is known from the Swiss Patent document CH-418,705 issued on Aug. 15, 1966. This device comprises a manually operable rotary knob which is coupled to a cam disk. If the knob is rotated, then the counter wheels of the date stamp are successively released, are switched to the next position, and are finally blocked again.
A semi-automatic setting device for the index wheels of the date stamp of a postage-meter machine is known from the European Patent application EP-105,424 published. This device exhibits adjustment tappets actuated by electromagnets. Said adjustment tappets set the index wheels step by step with gear wheels like a catch-stop drive. The adjustment tappets engage either from the outside into the print cylinder or they are actuated by gear racks supported in the axle of the print cylinder. It is true that in the latter case there is provided a compact construction, however, the equipment and financial requirements are substantial.
A further semi-automatic device for the setting of the date stamp is known from the Swiss Patent CH-670,524 issued on Jun. 15, 1989. This device uses gear racks guided within the axle of the print cylinder. The gear racks serve primarily for a setting of the counter wheels of the postage-value stamp. For this purpose, the device comprises a cam, an extension at one of the gear racks, and a spring-loaded lever. Upon coaction of these means, the index wheels of the date stamp engage with the remaining gear racks and can thus be changed via these gear racks relative to their setting.